The Limelight
by IKnowAlma
Summary: Sequel to Magic Trick. Loki takes Darcy on a quest to save her beloved pet from certain death. But knowledge comes at a cost. Conclusion to the trio of ficlets. TaserTrick. A bit AU and OOC.
1. Chapter 1 - Crazy Space Samurai

((A/N:Normally I like to leave this for the end but I just want to give you all a heads up the previous stories have been revamped. No big changes so it is not necessary to re-read them to make sense of this one. Just making you aware. Hope you enjoy the final step in the trio. Constructive criticism is cherished.))

The Limelight

Chapter 1 – Crazy Space Samurai

He had to hand it to her; she was hiding her fear well. On Earth she had disguised it with her rage and indignation at Fury's distrust in her abilities. But then they had returned to Asgard and no one was forcefully trying to prevent her from doing what she needed to do. There was no one to bark back at and feign confidence in furious denial. Now there was just preparation and then it would all begin. But he knew her, he knew her so well that he noticed the tiny hesitation. In empathy, he could feel that lump of terror in her stomach that was warning her not to go. It was in these times he'd smile to her, slide over and give her a quick hug or even just signal to Smurf to be her support. Then she would smile and stand tall instead of shrinking into herself. He was never more proud of her than he was now.

He looked over her in admiration. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail which was the closest it came to looking like she had actually prepared herself for battle. For the most part she was wearing her usual attire; a t-shirt, sweater, jeans and sneakers combo forgoing the scarf. But then again, her weapon and armour was Smurf and they were hoping to remedy the risks of him being such with this particular mission. So he had understood why she had chosen to come to Asgard looking so unprepared. Though knowing Darcy it hadn't been a result of what was ideal to wear and more what was comfortable.

"You don't have to come with us. Are you sure you want to do this?" Thor asked her for the nth time now that he and his brother were ready. Sif had wanted to join them in the expedition but Odin had deemed it important that she and the warriors three remain just in case things went wrong and they had a back up plan. The real reason was he didn't want her near Loki. She had proven to be a thorn in his redemption and the more they could avoid instances where she shattered his resolve into a violent whirling frenzy the better.

"I'm sure. _I'm doing this_." Darcy replied with strong determination in her voice and a hint of threat to back off about the topic. Thor pursed his lips and nodded understanding it was important to her but not wanting her to be hurt as a friend. Loki could barely hold back a smile at the care his brother took for the Midgardian woman. Darcy was a friend but a part of it might also lie with the fact she was his brother's lover.

Soon they were standing at the rebuilt and redesigned Bifrost. It was not complete yet but when it was the Tesseract would be placed into the workings and Asgard would have control over the pathways between worlds again. Loki stood proud as noble Asgardians gathered to watch the departure of the group. Most of them still distrusted him but he had long overcome his meek shame of such things. He had proven to himself and his family that he was no longer the chaotic individual he had once been and the madness inside him was easy to ignore most of the time. If they did not believe in this fact than so be it. He would no longer hide in shame for it was not all on his shoulders.

"Good luck to you Lady Darcy. We hope you find what you are looking for." Odin spoke up in that strong, commanding voice of his. The Midgardian woman nodded her head in gratitude for the well wishes but remained uncharacteristically silent. That was all that was said before the three of them took hold of the contraption the Tesseract was temporarily stored in and then the familiar feeling of travelling via the device enveloped them.

When the ground hit his feet the first thing Loki did was check on Darcy. It was easy to see she was overwhelmed but she didn't shrink in terror, only darted her eyes around the foreign world in wonder. Skrullos was different and mostly a ruin. A great war had occurred a long time ago and the Skrulls had already moved a sizeable population to a different planet. The place was for all appearances, abandoned. But that meant nothing especially when it came to the Skrulls.

Asgardians tried to limit their dealings with the creatures. There were dangerous and strove for power. Unlike Loki, their plans to thwart others did not find origin in pain and suffering. It was just their instinct to climb to the top of their hierarchy when the opportunity presented itself. Otherwise they were quite dutiful. The danger of their kind was their ability to mimic any shape. They could trick you by morphing into the image of a loved one.

It was all Darcy could do to keep her legs from shaking. For comfort she braced an arm along Smurf's thick neck. He almost stood to her height and she could quite easily use him as a mount now. But she wasn't going to show weakness. She was determined to do what she had to and if that meant staring something so much bigger than her in the eye then so be it.

Where they had been transported to was rocky and barren but she could see ruins of cities in various directions. The research based planet had once obviously thrived with life but now it was eerily silent in the darkness.

Thor took the lead, walking briskly to the nearest sign of civilization. Loki took the rear guard and cautiously she glanced back to him. He smiled to her in reassurance, his shorter hair still making him look younger and less, well, insane. Like his brother he wore his normal attire and Darcy felt suddenly underprepared. Not that she required an outfit of leather and metal, she had Smurf to be her armour although this was only to happen when absolutely necessary. Loki and the other Asgardian scholars had estimated that the time of Smurf's impending implosion was getting alarmingly close. All the more reason to go on this expedition.

Minutes later they were standing amongst rubble investigating what was left in the ruin. Nothing stood out however. Homely items that had somehow survived, architecture, maybe even art could describe some of the broken things Darcy saw but nothing that looked like a scientific research base. The buildings were fascinating though. It was like walking around amongst giant cogs and gears, spiralling columns that had engravings like drills.

A strange fluctuation in the bells in her head caught Darcy's attention and she glanced to where Smurf had gone. It was a home, only one wall standing now however. If the living weapon had a nose she would think it was smelling the remains of furniture that had somehow survived which was a fair amount compared to most buildings.

Carefully she opened the drawers of a possible dresser but found nothing significant. Then she looked over the table next to the strange coat rack cross blue light. Dusting away debris she found something with strange lettering on it. Squinting in curiosity she wondered what it meant.

Loki glanced to Darcy. She had wandered a little too far away from him and his brother for his liking. He was about to retrieve her when he spotted movement. The lamp next to her unfolded from itself, swords drawn as it a took a more humanoid shape.

"Darcy, look out!" Loki cried out throwing one of this daggers and stalling the creature just long enough for Smurf to leap forward. Loki cursed under his breath for forgetting to mention to the girl that Skrull's could shape shift into non-living things as well.

She didn't really know what to think of the thing as she backed away, Loki soon between her and the creature Smurf attempted to tackle again only for it to dodge almost too easily. Its skin was green and it had pointed ears. It was almost like an orc or a goblin from fantasy novels. It was dressed in leather and black, something akin to a rogue also from said fantasy types. But most curious were the two katana like blades it wielded. They were alien in design but more importantly the gems at the hilt were alarmingly familiar. They held the same blue glow of Smurf's eye, flaring with pleasure as the battle continued.

Thor crashed in from the side but again the creature dodged easily. It did not have the same strength as the Asgardian but it had speed and agility on its side. It released one of the swords, fighting Thor with the remaining. The weapon was definitely of the same nature as Smurf as it unfolded into a creature with eight insect like legs and a long whip like tail. Its head was the blade and it leapt forward with a shrieking crash of metal for a cry, attacking its crossbow counterpart so that its master could fight Thor in peace. The clashing in Darcy's head was full of desperation and fierce emotion. Smurf saw family, friend and foe in the creature. Something of its kin but forced to battle it to protect the human he cared for. She stood in stunned silence glancing between the two battles with no notion to act and Loki not interfering as he kept close to her for her own safety.

The Skrull leapt away as its creature sword returned to its side, fluidly taking its weapon form again as he grabbed it. Thor kept back as did Smurf while they observed the green man. He looked over the group before holding his gaze on Darcy where Smurf's offshoot shone bright blue with emotion.

"You know not what you wield." He declared with warning in his gravely voice. That was all he said before his swords charged with massive amounts of electricity, the jolt knocking the entire group back and temporarily blinding them and burying the lightning resistant Thor into rubble with the force. He was the first up but the Skrull was gone when he stepped from the ruin. Darcy shook her head, blinking rapidly before Loki helped her up off the ground, checking her over to make sure she was okay. Frustration at losing their first and only lead overwhelmed the woman.

"What the hell was that?!" she shrieked looking between her two god companions. They glanced to each other somewhat speechless. "You said nothing about crazy space samurai!" she added taking out her aggravation on the undeserving Asgardians. Soon she was pacing back and forth words and exclamations flying out of her mouth. She was trying desperately to make sense of what she just saw at the same time as wishing desperately that they could somehow track, capture and interrogate the green man who obliviously knew more about Smurf than they did.

"I'm sorry." Loki offered in a soothing voice, stepping behind her and gently holding her arms. He embraced her, speaking over her shoulder in an attempt to calm her irritation and frenzy. "Skrull's have the ability to shape shift into _anything_. We should have added that when we told you they could change their forms." He explained, the rumble of his voice from his chest comforting the angered woman. The flare of her desperation calmed as she allowed him to ease her frustration.

"I've never encountered one that skilled before." Thor spoke up obviously sore at how poorly the fight had gone. It had ended quickly by the Skrull's hand and that only put salt in his wounded pride. The Asgardians were silent for a moment in thought obviously considering the implications of the rogue Skrull warrior. They were not usually fighters and not usually that skilled. There something off putting about this particular one that caused the brothers to exchange concerned glances.

"What does it matter?" Darcy spoke up after a moment, approaching Smurf to scratch its chin. The clicking noises it made were sad obviously not liking the outcome of fighting something akin to a brother. "You two can kick arse, I know that. We find that space samurai, capture it and interrogate it. Its swords are the same as Smurf. It knows what he is and that means it probably knows how to fix the whole impending death thing. That's all that matters." She explained determination clear in her voice. She didn't wait for a response. Darcy begun walking the direction the warrior had retreated to, Smurf quick on her heels. Thor glanced to Loki, his brows raised as a clear sign he was impressed. His brother just laughed, shaking his head. He had clearly chosen a stubborn Midgardian to fall in love with.

Darcy cursed under her breath. It was the third city they had entered and explored and there was still no sign of the samurai Skrull. It wasn't for a lack of thoroughness. Despite the looks it earned from her Asgardian friends she had taken to attacking nearly everything. She'd picked up a pipe like object and used it to test for a morphed Skrull. If Smurf lingered in an area she checked it over with the clunk of metal. But so far all she'd done was wear herself out. Sighing in a mixture of exhaustion and frustration she sat down on a large boulder observing Smurf investigate the remains of buildings. Thor was leaping to the highest points hoping to spot the warrior with better vantage points. If he wasn't shape shifted the light of his swords would give him away. It was odd that they changed form with him but only cemented the fact that the weapons had origins amongst the alien race. Then again, the gem like eyes had still been blue, just cleverly morphed as dull lights.

"Don't worry so much love. We'll find him. If not, he's bound to find us and attack again." Loki offered in consolation. The woman forced a smile at him but her expression was still that of childish sulking. "Just think. When this is done Fury might even add you to the Avengers initiative." He added after a moment sitting down next to her. She couldn't deny she took pleasure in the comfort and warmth of his presence so close to hers.

"Can you imagine that? Darcy Lewis, one of the Avengers. My parents would flip when they saw me on the news." She pondered, allowing herself to be distracted. It made her think about everything she had been doing. Her parents knew very little of what went on in her life and she liked it that way. Knowing her mother at least, she probably would have been ordered back home the minute she heard that she was going to another planet. She had only gotten away with her previous adventures by way of revealing them to her parents after they'd happened. Not that she hadn't been the sharing sort or at least at first. When she'd first met Thor she'd kept facebook up to date on the crazy day to day activities. Everyone had assumed she was just making it up. Then S.H.I.E.L.D had done their clean up act and made it all like it never happened. When Loki's attack with the Chitauri came along her parents finally worked out that it wasn't an overactive imagination. They'd tried of course to have her returned home but Darcy had managed to remain with Jane via the fact nothing was happening anymore. Now she kept the more drastic dealings of her day to day adventures away from facebook to save herself from very long lectures and orders to return home. She could hardly fathom what it would be like if she became an Avenger.

That wasn't the only thing to consider happening after this was all over. It was very apparent that S.H.I.E.L.D wanted to know more about Asgard and all the other planets out there but Thor, Odin and Loki had done a pretty good job of preventing that from happening. As a result there'd been a rumour that Jane had been offered the task of being a Midgardian representative on Asgard. Darcy had talked to her about it and while she said nothing her responses made it clear that this wasn't just gossip. But the idea made the younger girl laugh. Jane wouldn't be the best envoy for the human race. Her head was so wrapped up in wonder for the Asgardian world and technology that she often forgot how to be an every day normal person. Darcy was more like her carer than an assistant, making sure she ate and that cleaning got done once in a while. Also reminding her of social networking and the latest celebrity news which were the aspects that annoyed her boss. Darcy just considered her youthful views and single mindedness as charming quirks.

"What are you thinking about?" Loki questioned and the young girl recalled where she was. She glanced to her lover, taking his hand and smiling fondly.

"Just about life after this. I'm pretty sure Jane would love to be the Midgardian ambassador but she wouldn't be very helpful to the human side." Darcy commented spotting Smurf heading back towards her. He had obviously found nothing which only encouraged her sense of defeat.

"I suppose we would have to choose a representative ourselves." Loki commented with a tone of distrust for S.H.I.E.L.D's motives. She didn't blame him. The agency had proved that it often had ulterior motives to everything it did. Why else would that put Fury in charge? But if they were to play along they would have to choose someone. Thor would not agree to it if Jane were to come to Asgard. He would stay with her. Darcy beamed a smile at him and he gave her a curious, meek look.

"I think it should be you." She declared. The laugh Loki responded with as he stood up was rather bitter, a hint of hatred in his eyes that concerned the young girl.

"I highly doubt your leaders would be welcome to that idea Miss Lewis." He replied. Before she could make an argument towards it Thor landed amongst the small gathering with a pound that made the ground shake.

"I haven't spotted the Skrull but there's a ship a little ways from here. I'd bet Mjolnir that that's where we'll find some information on Smurf and the Tesseract." He declared with a focused expression. His companions nodded their heads before the group begun making their way in the direction of this base. New hope found it's way into Darcy's chest and it was all she could do to keep herself from running ahead.

Far away past Asgard and all the way back on Earth deep underground a man with a scar on his face twitched inside his prison. Suggestion wound its way into his mind, whispers of women spitting harshly in his ear. He was being ordered that the time to act was close and soon he would be able to see the empress that ruled his desire.

He was held so close to her, so unbearably close so that they could study the effects of her suggestion and what proximity could do. But as the fools they were, they didn't understand that some things were not meant to be studied, they were meant to be buried and left to rot, left alone from prying hands and open minds. Their curiosity was an advantage to their enemies and filled the voices in his ears with mirth.

Held deeper underground were many of man's worst enemies. Men and women who had been stopped by heroes. Amongst them was a goddess of sorts. Her eyes were a fierce red, her skin a pale purple. She did not yet have her six arms but it was clear her time enclosed had helped her regenerate. She now held four arms, all locked in contraptions away from her body to limit her movement. Her long white hair fell about her sculpted body, the only thing covering her other than bandages that left her some dignity. Glowing white energy gathered around her sides making it evident that it was not long before her third pair of arms would regrow.

Intent was clear in her eyes and rage, fury directed at one particular human girl who had ruined so many plans for the goddess, had robbed her of the praise of the one being she looked up to. She had been patient and the air suggested that what she had waited for was soon to come. Humans would soon learn that their curiosity would be the death of them and that their arrogance allowed them to think too easily that they successfully encaged forces beyond their control. They unknowingly welcomed chaos and she would bring it to them.


	2. Chapter 2 - Distorted Chimes

Chapter 2 – Distorted Chimes

Darcy stood in awe when they got closer to the craft Thor had spoken of. It's sheer size was enough to cause her concern and grant her understanding of why Fury was so cautious about sharing the risks humanity might pose to other races. If the ship in front of her had gone to Earth it would have been a battle on the same scale as the Chitauri, maybe even worse. That was with just one ship. Fortunately whatever war had happened on the planet it had taken down the craft which if she thought about it was a bigger concern. What could take down something that big? The gaping hold in one end of the ship sent fear into the Midgardian's stomach although she tried her best to hide this fact.

"Ready to find your answers?" Thor questioned, glancing to the girl. Darcy looked back to him and then over to Loki who smiled encouragingly. She nodded her head, still too stunned to speak which was a feat in itself. She wasn't the kind of person to be stunned to silence often.

It took at least half an hour of walking one direction to find an opening into the spacecraft and thus they begun their slow climb through rubble. Once or twice they bumped into things and set off a shower of sparks that clearly indicated that there was still energy running through the ship in spite of its state of decay.

"This can't be Skrull technology. They've always been good with it but this is just…beyond anything I've ever seen." Loki commented glancing to Thor with concern. His brother's face mirrored the worry both of them suddenly very curious where the beings stole it from. From the few times they had encountered the Skrull it was clear that they were scavengers and held little real intelligence to create contraptions themselves, only add on to things they found. So perhaps the Tesseract, Smurf and this ship had a home somewhere else entirely. Loki cursed internally starting to feel like the quest to learn more about Smurf might turn into a wild goose chase as Darcy would say. They didn't have the time for it.

"Can you guys hear that?" Darcy called out a little away from the pair of siblings. Loki had been so wrapped up in thought that he hadn't noticed the woman had disappeared from sight. They followed her voice to an enclosed hallway leading to a part of the ship that had for the most part, survived the attack and apparent crash landing.

"Hear what?" Loki inquired straining his ears for a noise that to him, wasn't there. It worried him greatly only more so at the expression on his lover's face. It suggested great emotional pain, the kind he was all to familiar with. The kind that drove you mad.

"It's like…like the chimes of Smurf. Bells in my head but…it's wrong. Something's wrong." She explained, grief in her voice. It was clear she was on the verge of tears. Protectively Loki took hold of her but she brushed him off, a strong desire to follow the sound, to find it. Smurf took off at a sprint and the Midgardian quickly followed.

The sound was hard for her to describe. If despair and sorrow made a noise that was what it was. An overwhelming sense of grief, pain, abandonment and loneliness. Distorted chimes, bells and creaking metal singing so loudly in her ears she could hardly believe that Thor and Loki could not hear it. The sound threatened to consume her, to drown out the rest of the world and be the only thing in existence.

Following it she came to Smurf who had stopped at a barricaded door. Even his strength and sharp taloned feet could not damage the metal. It was certain that this was where she would find her answers. Smurf glanced to her a desperate screech of pleading both made from its physical form and its sound in her mind. Darcy came to the side of the door where an obvious hand activated mechanism waited. It seemed to hum as if sensing her presence. She reached out for it before Loki caught up, snatching her hand away.

"Wait! It could be dangerous!" He hissed obviously in fear for what it might do if it refused access. The ship may have been derelict but the security systems could still be armed especially when there were signs of energy throughout the rubble. He wasn't going to risk them activating and harming Darcy.

Carefully he wove magic around the device, analysing it and triple checking to make absolutely certain that nothing would happen. It wasn't fool proof but it was better than nothing and he had the sense to believe that the mechanism would work for the Midgardian alone. It was designed specifically for the creature's host.

"Okay. It's safe. From the looks of it the door opens only for people with the symbiotic relationship with the weapons." He explained what he could understand though it was clear he still didn't want Darcy to touch it. With a quick look of impatience she abandoned fear, pressing her hand to the device. It flashed in much the same way her bracelet did when Smurf teleported to it and then the mechanism whirred to life. Several locks broke away until the door finally opened, lights attempting to flicker on but sparking and fluttering back to darkness from the damage to the ship. In the same instance the noise flooded Darcy like a physical force and she stumbled backwards, hitting the floor.

"Darcy?!" Thor called out Loki silent as he swept to her side, checking her over. Tears sprung to her eyes involuntarily and she heard the grieving cries of Smurf. She felt her weapon's sorrow as her own, a mixture of anguish and rage. It was emotion to the point of agony and a part of her wanted to run away and never discover what was hidden within that room. With Loki's help she stood again although she shook severely. Slowly she crept into the area. Glass casings littered the large space that looked something akin to a science lab, most broken but a few intact. Inside the ones that had survived floated organic machines in some sort of embryonic stage. But there was no life in the gems on them, no glowing blue light. They were incomplete or dead. The room was filled with weeping chimes and it was like she could feel the surrounding area, like it was an extended part of her. But when it came to the lifeless incomplete weapons there was nothing. The space was oddly hollow and that only seemed to feel worse than grief.

She felt sick to the stomach but she pressed on, walking deeper into the room, stepping around the broken bodies on the floor from the creatures that had shattered with their glass wombs. It was almost as if she'd walked into a massacre, the weapons humans for all she could care. They were the same to her and to see so much carnage hurt her deeply. She felt Smurf's grief for this as her own and she wondered somewhere in the back of her mind if she would feel this sad if she didn't have the mental link with her living weapon. But then she noticed the tiniest flicker of hope. It was warmth, tickling in the back of her mind, weak but there. What the heartbeat of a bird might feel like. She followed the sensation, a sound like pins dropping to the ground in silence filling her head. She found Smurf next to the source, looking to her with a request in its single blue eye.

On top of a desk that had obviously been someone's work station once was a bracer, very similar to what Smurf had been when she had first found him what felt like a lifetime ago. Instead of a bow however the head like area was a small blade that looked like it could flip back to lay on the bracer at will. But there was no gem on the contraption. Seemingly it was an empty shell but the sound suggested there was the potential for life.

Darcy glanced to Smurf before reaching out and touching the object. She had intended to pick it up but stood still as her bracelet unwrapped itself from her wrist, climbing down to encircle a part of the bracer. Mechanical clinks sounded in the sudden silence as Smurf's second eye integrated itself into the other weapon. It was granting the shell life by making it an extension of itself. It was not a new life per say but just another part of Smurf. The bells flooding Darcy's head with gratitude told her this. She lifted the bracer, Loki's warning cry a whisper amongst the sound in her head and his counsel thus unheeded.

Her arm burned when she pulled the weapon onto her left wrist, white hot fire shooting up her arm and consuming her whole body. She cried out in pain before being blinded by the light of the second eye. Quicker than she could comprehend the white faded to black and she lost all feeling. She was unconscious before she had even begun to fall.

The happenings on the other planet were uncomprehended miles away on Earth where the few aware prepared for the worst case scenario. Unfortunately their distraction proved that there concerns should lie elsewhere, deep underground where they held things they could not hope to control.

He felt freedom on his wrists; cautiously he brought them in front of him, rubbing where his shackles had left the skin red. It wasn't the first time the man had been captured and held though it was under quite different circumstances. He glanced cautiously to the S.H.I.E.L.D scientist who had released him trying to work out why the man had sided with the cultists. The researcher smiled pleasantly and the scar faced man noticed there was a red tint to his eyes. Sumati had enlisted him to her army whether he really wanted to or not. The man was aware, even as he obeyed her without hesitation, that she used suggestion to manipulate people into wanting her praise. He was no different but he found he offered little resistance. It had been a long time since he had been given a purpose to fight and helping a goddess felt a lot more important than fighting strangers in the nearest drop-dead pub.

"She is waiting for you. An escort is just outside." The man informed him before disappearing out the doors, two armed S.H.I.E.L.D agents taking him to another room to unlock all barriers between Sumati and freedom.

He was given a rifle from the two men that were to accompany him as he made his way deep within the facility. His first task was to retrieve her sabres, clothing and the weapons that had been confiscated from his group then to reach his goddess within her chambers. He met little resistance and what he did meet he easily dealt with. It was quite apparent he was skilled and experienced with combat. Before long the agents who weren't indoctrinated had other issues to deal with anyway. Every super villain locked deep below in the facility had been released.

"That will keep these fools busy." The scar faced man commented just outside the doors where the whispers were at their strongest. When they opened a tall, six armed woman stood free from her chains, a smirk decorating her luscious, dark purple lips. She was a giant compared to the average human, towering above him now that she had fully regenerated.

"Come now Victor. We don't chide children for their inexperience." She purred taking her items from him. The voices in his head were more persuasive than ever and looking upon his goddess for the first time with physical eyes he worshipped her all the more. If there was anyone he would allow to manipulate him it was her. "Now according to my little mouse she's gone very far away. We have a long journey ahead of us." Sumati purred, revenge clearly her intent. Her red eyes gleamed with eager mirth, looking forward to the suffering she promised one particular human.

Worry had thrown him into a rage and it had taken a good punch from Thor to stop him lashing out. He had damn near wanted to tear Smurf apart and a good chunk of his mentality still held the urge. However now he sat on the ground with the unconscious Darcy in his lap wrapped protectively in his arms. It had been hours and now she finally stirred.

"Loki?" She questioned sleepily. She watched his face for a moment before looking around, recalling what had happened. The presence of sorrow was far less than it had been. It was still there but the life granted to the contraption on her wrist had apparently soothed it to some extent.

"Darcy Lewis, you will be the death of me." Loki hissed in frustration barely able to unclench his teeth. Abashedly she ducked her head in apology before helping herself out of the Asgardian's lap. He stood up, standing close to her using his height and the madness of his presence as intimidation. "_Never_ do that again." He ordered and while a part of Darcy wanted to defiantly tell him he wasn't in charge of her she thought better of it, nodding her head in acceptance.

He finally relaxed a little, a sigh of relief escaping him now that he was certain the Midgardian was okay. Obviously granting life to the other bracer required energy from the host. Deciding that he no longer needed to keep such a close eye on Darcy, he turned his attention to the room, looking over the notes. He was the only one there who could read the other language and Thor had attempted earlier to distract him from his concern by encouraging him to investigate but Darcy had taken precedence in Loki's mind. Now that the god of mischief wasn't so distracted he began looking into what he could.

"We're right that it's not Skrull technology. Some of these are research logs. They don't mention where they got the Tesseract but they mention "the first weapon". It was what caused the war. That answers that question for father." Loki explained reading through the journal of one of only a few researchers. Odin had always wondered what caused the war that lessened the threat of the Skrulls, there was the answer. "They were trying to recreate it with the cubes they had salvaged. There were heavy losses from the weapons imploding after so long however." He continued, sifting through another pile of notes. He began to grow frustrated when it dawned on him that the sections involving the solution were gone. Destroyed by the looks of it. Obviously someone was trying to keep the technology forgotten and lost. Loki's guess would be the very Skrull that attacked them. He was a rogue from his race seemingly.

"I think we're going to need to find our little friend." The god of mischief suggested looking to his companions. Thor had obviously been expecting it but Darcy was gritting her teeth in annoyance. She had been hoping for the best.

"Anything else or should I just go grumble outside?" She asked obviously having difficulty reigning in her temper. He could understand. The longer this took the greater the risk of them losing Smurf although he was beginning to be more concerned with what Darcy might do to prevent it from happening. Ignoring the idea of scolding her again, Loki shrugged in response to her question.

"Just confirming what we already know. Feed off adrenaline, powered by an energy source like the Tesseract, destined to implode. There's this I guess." He listed off before looking over one of the notes. "The weapons have a symbiotic relationship with the first person to wield them, bonding with them almost like a child to a parent. If the original host is killed they become wild and uncontrollable but in most cases they will do anything to save the "parent". They lost several researchers and military personnel whenever they tried to kill the host because the creatures are very good at the protective part. Most of the time." Loki read wanting to laugh scornfully at the amount of times Smurf had put Darcy in danger. "The few instances where the weapons caused the death of their hosts, usually by over feeding, the weapons basically laid themselves down to die." He concluded glancing to Smurf. His irritation for the creature would not last however. It was only caused by the recent harm it had caused and knowing that it was partially Darcy's fault for not considering her well being he couldn't remain angry.

"So nothing we hadn't guessed at." The young woman spoke up with a sigh, hands on her hips. She was ready to work. "All right. Let's get back to hunting this sucker down. He obviously has the answers." She declared before leaving the room. Loki glanced to Thor silently wondering what they were going to do to keep Darcy out of danger. Understanding his unspoken question, Thor shrugged before following the woman out. Loki sighed, taking up the rear guard again although this time Smurf was walking alongside him. It made a sad chirp as if trying to apologise for the damage it had done.

"Don't fret. I'm not going to kill you…now anyway." Loki replied looking down to the creature. The light of its eye dimmed as it made a shamed tinkle of bells. "If I understand it correctly you can both feel the death in this room or at least hear it. I can…comprehend why that would lead you to both be so inconsiderate."

Smurf tilted its head as if wishing it could somehow share that feeling and demonstrate how easily things can be forgotten when in that turmoil. Loki just rose his eyebrows a clear statement that he had been emotionally hurt enough to become rash. If there was anyone who understood what pain did to reasoning and logic it was him.

Stepping outside he watched Thor and Darcy who were conversing, trying to work out where the Skrull would most likely go to hide. They had no leads however and it felt almost like a dead end.

"Maybe we could split up?" Darcy offered although the notion was immediately rejected by her two escorts. If the situation wasn't so serious Loki might have laughed at the offence her expression suggested of that reaction. But the proposal of mirth did not last in his mind.

He reacted too slow when out of the rubble the Skrull emerged, unfolding from its camouflage as part of the ruins. Its arm reached out, wrapping around Darcy before she even realized the creature was there. It held one of its blades to her throat but kept its eyes fixed on her three escorts knowing they were a threat.

"You should have left when you had the chance. I can not let you leave with your current knowledge." He declared a certain level of grief in his voice. Obviously he had seen a lot of bloodshed over the living weapons that he wielded and that Smurf was.

"Go to hell! We haven't learnt anything new! Now tell me how to save Smurf!" Darcy demanded despite her predicament. The Skrull glanced to her confused but it wasn't the name that brought puzzlement to his face. It was clear that he had assumed they were here for power but instead they didn't care for the abilities Smurf granted but to save its life as a friend. But doubt replaced the shock and it was clear he would do his self given duty.

All in one instant Loki lost sight of her. Smurf was the one to leap forward, hoping to pull his owner from the Skrull's grasp but he wasn't fast enough. The Skrull threw one of his blades which in turn fended off the three attackers. He had to do the same with his other living blade before they were encumbered enough that he fled with the human woman.

"Darcy!" Loki cried out trying to chase her only to be stalled by one of the swords. The Skrull wouldn't need a weapon. He was strong enough to break Darcy's neck if he wanted to. Once again she was in danger and in spite of his efforts Loki was forced to face something else first. It was all he could do to keep from crying out in frustration. He wasn't going to lose her and so help that Skrull, if he harmed the young woman then he would learn of the wrath of the god of mischief.


	3. Chapter 3 - I'm Not Asking

Chapter 3 – I'm Not Asking

She landed ungracefully on the ground where the Skrull had tossed her. Scrambling to something akin to a battle stance, she looked to the creature who observed her almost like a curiosity. Okay, she wasn't dead yet. That was a good thing. Now she just had to keep it that way. She glanced to her new bracer which flicked the blade forward, preparing for battle. She felt that same strange sensation as if something else with far more skill and experience was in control of her body to some extent. Like Smurf or the rest of him, it would guide her through the motions if need be.

"How did you get the Racture?" The Skrull asked after a moment of pacing in front of her. He had no weapons but she didn't doubt that he was still quite dangerous to her. He had already proven that battle was his area of expertise.

"The what?" She responded shaking her head a little with a confused frown on her face. Good, he was talking to her. That meant she had time to bide and if she was lucky one of her companions would show up soon. She'd watched this guy fight, he wasn't going to be the kind that she just fluked a win with and her usual weapon wasn't with her which she was more experienced with fighting with. She only had the new one and her martial arts training.

"The original of what is on your wrist." He explained having little patience for her lack of understanding. Darcy made an "oh" expression thinking back to when she had first gotten Smurf. It had all been an endless fluke really from the moment she decided to gamble and put Smurf on her wrist. "It ended up in human hands after all…I thought it had been lost forever." He continued mostly talking to himself. He looked down, lost in thought.

"You know all about them, don't you?" Darcy spoke up ignoring that this brought his attention back to her. His head tilted but he made no verbal response to her question. "I just need to know how to keep him from overloading. That's all I want okay." She tried explaining herself though she was still tense, ready for action. She was hoping that the sincerity of her quest to save Smurf would earn his compassion for he seemed to hold no personal vendetta.

"So you can use it without consequence." He said stating it as fact and not posing it as a question. He obviously distrusted her motives but perhaps there was a chance to reason. If he was here to stop sentient beings from using the weapons for mass destruction then it was possible to make him see they weren't enemies.

"No, so that my _friend_ doesn't die!" Darcy replied with as much conviction in her voice as she could manage. The Skrull scoffed obviously not believing her. It didn't matter. Right at that moment her wrist bracer flashed white light, the only warning before Smurf leapt from where it had transported itself toward the enemy. Seconds later the Skrull's blades had appeared from somewhere and he took them in hand to fend of the giant bow weapon. Then Loki was there, rage in his eyes. He was using magic to trick the warrior who attacked shadows before fending off attacks from the real god of mischief.

Thor was there as well and Smurf protectively wrapped itself around Darcy as armour with an aggressive shriek of crashing metal. The Skrull's skill was there as it dodged and attacked but against the three of them it was quickly losing the battle even with the aid of its sentient weapons. It had obvious intent to flee when it began charging electricity to its katana like blades.

"Oh, no you don't!" Loki cried out obviously anger having gotten the better of him. His skin rapidly turned blue, his eyes a deep red when without hesitation he used his Jotun powers to freeze the Skrull in place, ice a jagged prison around all but its head. It was all he could to keep himself from killing the creature. He wanted to but some part of his rational mind was still strong enough to tell him it was needed alive.

Smurf detached itself from Darcy, approaching the Skrull and sitting across from it with a dimness to its eyes that suggested threat. The blades were frozen with the Skrull and movement was all but impossible. Only the slightest motion of its head was possible, enough to talk and see. Content that it was detained, Loki turned to the young woman and ran over to her, checking her for any bruises or cuts.

"I'm fine." She told him though this didn't stop his perusal of her body. It was several minutes before he finally seemed satisfied, pulling her into a strong hug.

"I'm beginning to regret allowing you to do this." He declared with a sigh. Thinking over the few hours since they had arrived full of chaos and worry. Darcy found she couldn't find offence in the implication she couldn't handle everything herself. She had gotten into large amounts of danger in the shortest amount of time.

"At least I'm not here by myself?" She offered awkwardly as her only method of consolation. The frown Loki shot her suggested that he was highly contemplating never giving in to her stubbornness again even if it meant chaining her up and locking her in his room so she couldn't defy him. She pursed her lips, looking away and thinking she needed to do some serious sucking up later.

It had taken some effort and no doubt that golden armoured fool would warn Odin soon enough but that was why she had to act. She had a limited time to get her revenge on the young woman who had thwarted her plans to help Thanos reach the human world. Victor was capable but he was also a mere mortal and he wasn't of the variety that were ultimately helpful. Those seemed to side mostly with the fools who had earned her Lord's attention. Those "Avengers". But it was of little importance. A smirk crossed her lips as her consciousness netted over a vast area, pleased that the planet her prey had disappeared to was barren of life. That made her task so much easier. Better yet, it was the origin of the artefact she had been trying to retrieve as a gift to her Lord. If she could salvage that technology, the kind that destroyed entire worlds, then he would be very pleased.

"Have you located her Empress Sumati?" the man inquired, worship in his words. With a sultry expression, she used her lowest pair of arms to lift his chin up so he was looking directly at her. Her laugh was amused and purred pleasure like the rest of her voice.

"A simple task. Now go my soldiers. Harm her friends, kill them if you can but spare her. I want the satisfaction of killing her myself." She ordered her tone taking on malicious intent. It was clear that she wasn't going to just wipe Darcy Lewis from existence. She wanted her to suffer.

Sumati, for all her status as a goddess was a simple being. She was desire incarnate. The little voice in the head of every sentient being that begged you to give in to want, to be selfish and cruel for your own desires. She required praise from Thanos and in turn created longing in others, nurtured it and controlled it until all they desired was praise from her. They would do anything to appease the whispers, the women clinging to their shoulders, the suggestion that demanded obedience. Now she fashioned that want into the need to remove Darcy Lewis from the list of the living.

They had taken a moment to recover. Resting around the warmth of a contraption Thor had brought with him. The Skrull had been left in his frozen prison off to the side, Smurf still closely watching him. But now that Darcy was back to clear thought she wanted to get started on what they came here for. With her Asgardian escorts close behind, Loki practically her shadow, she approached the creature. He looked at her in irritation but remained silent.

"What's your name?"She asked as a start, deciding it would be easier than calling it "Skrull". It didn't respond for a time as if contemplating the reasons why she would ask something so simple. Eventually it decided there was no threat to answering the questions.

"Talbok." It offered keeping its green eyed gaze on Darcy. It seemed to understand that in spite of her inexperience she was the one in charge for whatever reason. She took a deep breath thinking that this wasn't as hard as she thought.

"Okay Talbok, I want you to tell me how to stop Smurf from overloading." She demanded with determination in her voice. For all her courage though she was still deathly afraid.

"I'm not answering that question." Talbok responded with a tone that clarified he saw it as duty not to share his secret. No one was worthy of the knowledge and it had been a long time since his kind had been merchants, trading technology for their own needs. Even longer since he himself had been anything but a righteous warrior. But Darcy's jaw was set, she wasn't letting this drop. With each delay Smurf got closer and closer to death.

"I'm not asking." She responded sounding far more courageous than she actually was. In all truth she had no confidence that he would actually reveal his secrets even if she was the ruthless type. With no sincerity to the threat, she flicked her wrist blade forward implying that she was going to start cutting him soon. The smile that crossed the Skrull's face made it apparent that he saw through this bluff however.

"You are strange, human. But I see that you are not here for power. You are not of the kind." Talbok spoke up after a moment. With what little movement he could make, he bowed his head. "Very well. If you release me I will modify your…"Smurf" so that he will not overload." He offered. Why he gave in so easily she couldn't tell but she didn't want to question it if it meant saving her pet.

"How do we know you're not going to just try and kill her again?" Loki inquired obviously hesitant to let the creature go. There was hostility in his voice, a threat that if he tried the god of mischief would personally tear him limb from limb. Talbok laughed, the sound guttural.

"You are as protective of her as a Racture." He observed though the teasing did nothing to calm Loki's distrust. "I'd be a fool to try again with two powerful beings who would destroy this planet if it meant keeping her safe." He explained. The Asgardian still seemed on the verge of refusing but Darcy intervened, requesting silently that he release Talbok from his icy prison. After a moment of hesitation Loki yielded though he made it clear he was ready to kill their captive at the slightest hint he might harm the Midgardian. The Skrull stretched, cracking its bones as if testing that its body was intact. After a moment he released his blades which took up their animalistic shape, guarding him in case he was the one betrayed. He then approached Smurf looking him over thoughtfully.

"This will take a few hours. You got him here with not much time to spare. I'll be cutting it close." Talbok explained before sitting down next to the bow weapon. Smurf followed his directions so that the Skrull could open compartments that Darcy had never noticed on the creature before. She was fascinated by what the Skrull was doing.

Glancing to her companions she saw that Loki's gaze was glued to the green man almost daring him to try something. His body was tense, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Thor was similar although his attention was focused on the blades as he paced back and forth, glancing once to Darcy with a look of a reassurance that everything would be all right soon.

Hesitantly the Midgardian approached Talbok, observing silently for a time before her childish curiosity got the better of her. She was still the young college student at heart no matter how much she had grown. It was in her nature to voice her thoughts no matter the risk or importance.

"How long have you been here…by yourself?" She inquired. At first he seemed to ignore her but after a while the green skinned man spoke up.

"I'm not sure…the war was a long time ago. For a while many races tried to come here to claim the power of the Ractures. But then it was just me and my blades." He answered. A strange hum entered her mind and it took her a while to realize that it was the sound of Smurf changing. She wondered if it would replace the bells for a moment before intuition told her it would not.

"What about the other…Ractures?" She asked after a moment thinking of how strong the feeling of sorrow had been for the broken and incomplete living weapons. How often had Talbok gotten close enough to hear that awful sound? It had nearly driven Darcy mad and that was just one time. Even now the chimes of sadness were a strong and painful memory that threatened to consume her. It was the kind of sorrow that left a scar.

"It does not do well to listen to the dead…and I did not have the means to finish the incomplete." He replied, glancing to the wrist blade that Darcy now wore with something akin to relief. So it had pained him too. There was no way to describe that sensation and seemingly it was only something someone with a Racture could feel. She wished she could do something more to ease the voices of the dead.

"Will you answer my question now?" Talbok asked after a moment of silent contemplation. Darcy tilted her head obviously not sure what he was referring to. He waited patiently for realization to hit when she recalled that he asked where she had gotten Smurf. She glanced to her pet thinking over everything they had been through, over how much he had grown.

"From a temple under the ice. Sumati seemed to have been looking for it." She answered easily flicking her gaze back to Thor and Loki for a second. They watched silently, neither of them indicating that they wanted her to stop conversing with the creature. If anything, Loki lost a hint of his edge for his own curiosity.

"I see. I imagine she was trying to retrieve it to get in his good graces." Talbok muttered to himself. Although he was freely conversing with Darcy he was still focused on his work, moving to a new hidden compartment on Smurf. It seemed to not bother the creature in the slightest.

"You mean Thanos, I take it." Loki spoke up moving to stand next to Darcy. He seemed to have decided that Talbok was not a threat, for now. As such, it was approved to seek information from him while it was being freely offered.

"Yes. Lord of chaos and destruction all in the hopes of courting death." The Skrull replied with a dark look crossing his face. Obviously he was not a fan of Thanos. "The one you call Smurf, he was a gift from my people to Thanos. He was going to destroy worlds with that power even if it would have been limited to the time of overload. But instead the weapon vanished. The rumour was it fell to human hands which I now see is true. Obviously it took you a while to learn how to use it." Talbok explained. Darcy looked at Smurf a sudden sense of glee that she had been the one to link with the living weapon instead of Thanos.

"Where did the technology come from?" Loki asked referring to both the weapons and the Tesseract. Talbok glanced at him over his shoulder understanding that Asgardians had used the technology as well.

"They are called The Beyonders." He began. "They are, as the name suggests, beyond comprehension. Very few have seen them, even less have gone to their universe. Mostly they keep to themselves but Skrulls managed to get their hands on some of their technology. Unfortunately despite our scavenging ways we also tend to lose things as well." He continued obviously having some resentment that the cubes and sources of great power kept ending up in hands that didn't belong to Skrulls and worse yet, without payment.

"The Beyonders didn't try to get it back?" Darcy inquired trying to understand why anyone would let their weapons of mass destruction fall into the hands of just anyone.

"In honesty, they don't care. They're in no danger. I think they also find the Ractures quite fascinating themselves." Talbok persisted. He seemed to enjoy talking about these things, as if the weight of being the only living thing aware of the origin was taxing. Loki and Darcy glanced to each other thinking what the apparently superior race might find interesting about Smurf. "Ractures have a certain…awareness. I'm certain you've noticed that. It's not there all the time but every now and then you can see that they are aware they have the potential to shape worlds." He concluded. Darcy found herself understanding this. The times where Smurf would gaze off into space that suggested it was observing and thinking so far beyond what was in front of it.

The hair on the back of Darcy's neck prickled and she felt like someone whispered in her ear. It was a feeling that put her on alert as she glanced out into the darkness surrounding them. Thor and Loki noticed her sudden distraction and checked the surrounding area themselves.

"What is it?" Loki inquired before he too became tense. There was something out there in the shadows, he could feel it too.

"It can't be." Darcy muttered although the familiar feeling told her it was. The same whisper of suggestion hissing in her ear though this time instead of pleading for submission it cursed her, threatening her end. Thor and Loki stood ready, glancing to her while Talbok remained focused on his work, guarded by his twin blades.

"Come out Sumati! I know you're there!" Darcy cried out, readying her wrist blade. Smurf chimed in her head with notes that suggested the better part of him wanted to help as well but Talbok held him in place with the sheer fact that his work needed to be completed and soon.

An omnipotent laugh surrounded them at the same time as human soldiers encircled the group, alien rifles trained on them all. Sumati stepped from the shadows, her form as tall as it used to be, golden sabres in hand. She moved gracefully and with superiority spoken with the way she held herself.

"You've improved child." She commented with a hint of appreciation. But her amused smirk turned to a hostile sneer that promised revenge. "But that won't save you now."

((A/N: Thanks Scarletwitch for the reviews. Hope everyone else is enjoying the fic so far. Also hope I didn't completely butcher Skrulls and The Beyonders. Again, constructive criticism is cherished.))


	4. Chapter 4 - Please

Chapter 4 – Please

Chaos erupted almost immediately. Talbok's swords defended him from the onslaught although the strange technology broke anything on the creatures but the blades themselves. It was clear they could not defend him forever so the battle would need to be ended quickly. Darcy was saved when Loki dragged her out of the line of fire, Thor quickly occupied by a majority of the soldiers focusing on him to hinder any assistance he might offer. Before they could act, Loki and Darcy were caught in a battle with Sumati. It was all the Midgardian could do to keep up. Her reflexes were better than ever but it seemed that the six armed woman had deemed her a legitimate threat. She was not leaving any openings in her never ending onslaught of attacks. Each dodge was made with only a hairs breath distance.

Loki fell easily into battle, tricking the goddess with his mirror images but it seemed she was cautious enough to use the eyes of her followers. The real god of mischief would leap from hiding to attack her only for her to know exactly where he had jumped from. With a triumphant laugh something happened that stopped his latest attack in its tracks. Darcy couldn't tell what but Loki stilled, his skin paling and sweat bursting from his pores. He immediately looked sickly very similar to the first time she had met him. It was the telltale signs of unbearable fear and his eyes seemed to look around the area unseeing.

"Thanos wanted to pay his mind a little visit." Sumati explained, stepping toward the Asgardian with obvious intent. "He still needs to pay him back for what happened with the Chitauri." She concluded before raising one of her sabres high. Without hesitation Darcy ran, clearing the distance as she charged the blade attached to her bracer. The shock sent Sumati crashing to the ground. In the background Darcy barely registered that one of the worm like creatures she had seen on the news all those years ago burst from the ground to further distract Thor. Disregarding this she went to Loki, gripping his arms, the slightest response from his eyes showing that he could feel the grip but his mind was still somewhere else entirely.

"Loki! Please! Listen to me! It's not real! It's not-" Darcy was cut short from her attempts to bring him back to reality when a painful shriek crashed inside her head. In alarm she glanced to Smurf who struggled to standing, scrambling away from Sumati who had destroyed Talbok's blades almost effortlessly in the moment of distraction and now used their remains to pierce the Skrull's chest with a wicked laugh.

She couldn't tell if the cries were Smurf's or from the blades themselves but she felt herself overwhelmed with sorrow and rage not only for their death and the death of Talbok but for the fact that his work was incomplete. The modifications would never be finished, Smurf was going to die. Emotion bubbled up inside of her desperate for action, anything that might change what had just occurred.

"NO!" Darcy screamed, running toward Smurf. Sumati beamed with pleasure at the emotional suffering that was clear in the human's reaction before motioning for her group to retire. Obviously she wanted to take pleasure in the woman's torment before she killed her and what better way than to leave her pet destined to destruction and her lover locked in another world sweating with fear and pain beyond comprehension. With mocking, satisfied laughter her group retreated on the back of the giant worm like creature, Thor relieved from his battle as well.

Smurf chimed sadly to Darcy before the pair moved over to the Skrull with the last ounces of hope but it was clear he wasn't going to survive. Talbok looked to her with pain clear in his expression, using the last of his effort to remain conscious.

"My apologies…human. Smurf will die. I recommend you leave him near the wreck to wipe out the remains of our research when he overloads." He commented strain clear in his voice. Tears sprung to Darcy's eyes and she shook her head looking desperately where his own living weapons had pierced him hopelessly wanting to do something to fix the wound.

"No, there has to be…something we can do. You have to survive." She told him like her words would change what had happened. He laughed though the humour quickly turned to coughs that suggested his lungs were filling with blood.

"Thank you human. At least the Racture was given a master who cared." He responded before his ragged breaths stilled and the life in his green eyes vanished. A rain of pins sung in her mind in sorrow, Smurf bowing its head beside her as she looked desperately around for some kind of support. It was only then she recalled what was happening to her lover and she pushed herself up, staggering over to where he was curled on the ground.

Thor was beside him, holding his arm with a strong grip that seemed to be the only thing that reminded him it was all in his mind. With tears still flowing freely down her face, Darcy took hold of his hands, squeezing them with all her strength and begging him constantly to hear her voice, to realize that it was all in his head.

He heard the cries faintly in the back of his mind. A muffled voice far away but the musical sound let him know it was Darcy. He felt pressure on his shoulder and hands and knew that was what was happening to his real body but he could not escape the other world. He thought when the sceptre had been taken from him he was safe from being dragged back especially when the Chitauri had refrained from any attempts to contact him. But now he was there standing before the very being who had given him the weapon through them and the power to act on his insanity.

"You have fallen Loki, Laufey's son." Thanos growled with derision. The sneer on his face suggested he took great pleasure in having Loki's mind in his presence. The Asgard recalled what he was like from the one time he had met him not long after he had first been given the sceptre. Unlike the Chitauri, Loki feared him, more so now that his madness was gone to smother such emotions. The agony he could cause was beyond any physical pain the god of mischief had ever felt only trumped by the emotional pain his family had caused him. "I _will_ make it to Earth and when I court death I will take pleasure in destroying the people that woman cares for, I will make her suffer until her very last breath." He threatened almost as if he doubted Sumati's success.

"Loki!" Darcy's cry broke clear through the distance, white hotness burning his hands. Thanos moved and just before the Asgard could slip away he screamed pain and torment into his mind. His physical body jolted, wincing with eyes screwed tightly shut from the pain in his skull. It was sheer agony, crippling him with the sensation.

"Loki!" Thor's voice echoed relief clear in his tone as he began laughing now that his brother had finally returned to them. His skin was still pale and slick with sweat but his eyes when they finally opened, focused on his companions. Never had he loved the two of them more wanting nothing else but to be near the beings that meant most to him. Fresh tears spilled out of Darcy's eyes as she kissed his hands, her body fatigued. What had brought him back had something to do with the wrist blade on her left arm. Smurf chirped happily and suddenly Loki was wondering what had transpired in his moment of delirium.

"You knucklehead, don't scare me like that." Darcy threatened her voice thick with worry. Loki sat up, ducking his head a little in apology before looking around for Talbok. It wasn't long before he spotted him, dead a distance away. He glanced to his lover desperate to know if his work had been completed. She looked down at his silent question, swallowing as if to choke another wave of tears. She shook her head, looking away. She was trying her hardest to be strong and that only made Loki's chest ache in sympathy. "Smurf's…Talbok didn't finish. There's nothing we can do." She blurted out, all her sorrow funnelling into her voice. Her eyes were glassy but with a quick breath she managed to keep herself from crying.

"I'm sorry." Loki offered though he knew his words meant little. Smurf sang with bells in a sorrowful tone though it was easy to tell he did not fear his own death. He only grieved for the pain it caused in Darcy's heart.

"What do we do now?" Thor questioned obviously leaving the decision to Darcy. It was clear he wanted to get back at Sumati but he respected that everything should be up to the woman who was affected most by everything that had happened. Darcy tilted her head slightly in gratitude before her worry and sorrow was replaced by an overwhelming fury. The look in her eyes reminded Loki of himself and mentally he begged that she never become the villain he had been, that somehow she would come out of all of this as the sweet girl he cherished and not something different.

"I say we find Sumati and I tear every single arm off her as slowly and as painfully as I can." She growled, the tone of her voice causing the Asgardians to glance to each other in concern. Before they could do anything to calm her rage or suggest other options Darcy had stood up, motioning for Smurf to attach itself to her. She was already walking in the direction the goddess had fled at a brisk pace when they finally moved to stand and follow her.

It was sickening, overwhelming and also terrifying but she held onto it. She clung desperately to her rage for it was the only thing that kept her from breaking down. It was the only thing that would keep her fighting until Sumati was no longer a threat to her or anyone she cared about. And she would pay. For the lives that had been lost and for the inevitable loss of the living weapon, armour that now surrounded her. She could feel heat radiating off of Smurf's body, unsure if it was the beginning of the end or just a mirrored rage in her pet. The scraping metal in her mind suggested her creature was just as furious as she, just as determined to destroy the six armed woman.

The group hadn't bothered hiding and they hadn't gone far. Darcy didn't even try to ambush them. She walked out into the open regardless of the threat to her life. Sumati smirked, laughter like the purr of a cat echoing around the area. The human woman stood before with a fire in her eyes that impressed the goddess who glanced to her soldiers. They lacked the same kind of conviction.

"Why so angry, Darcy Lewis?" The six armed woman asked in taunt. Her enemy clenched her jaw tightly but said no word. She stood there, glaring for all she was worth before a battle cry tore from her lungs. She leapt forward, wrist blade at the ready and already charging with electricity. The tides had turned as Darcy became the one offering an endless onslaught to the dodging Sumati. Her servants could not help, Loki having used magic and ice as he battled the cultists. His brother fought above them working away at the giant worm's thick armour.

When all the followers were dealt with Loki glanced to Darcy. He wanted to interfere but knew it would only enrage his lover further. This was her fight and no one could take that from her. Any that tried would earn her fury. As such he chose to help his brother as the worm came crashing close to the ground in an attempt to remove Thor from its side.

"Who knew you had such potential for violence." Sumati mocked when she had leapt far enough back that the living weapons were not an immediate threat. Any charged attack from the bow section would give her enough warning to dodge to the side.

"You gave me a reason." Darcy spat. She felt in spite of the adrenaline coursing through her body, that it was not long before exhaustion would get the better of her. It was time to end this once and for all. She willed electricity into both the blade and bow part of Smurf's extended presence, metal clashing in her mind in warning and shared anger. "It must burn you to have failed Thanos by the hand of a background character." Darcy taunted hoping to insight rage from Sumati so she would not think to dodge. Energy raced up and down the woman's arms, a terrible ache filling them but she ignored it. This time she wanted to make sure the six armed goddess didn't survive.

"I did not fail!" Sumati screamed obviously the topic a sore spot. In denial she thought that her plans could still come to pass they had only been delayed. All by this pathetic excuse for a warrior before her. The purple skinned beauty launched herself forward, golden sabres singing death through the air. Too late did she realise she had been foolish enough to be goaded into a trap

The charge was stronger than it had ever been the pressure painful as Darcy felt electricity cut at her arms. Then with the last of her rage she launched the bolt of lightning forward. The release knocked the girl back, remaining standing only because of Smurf's body protective around her. But the metal burned and both sections of her living weapon unfolded from her form, the wrist blade attaching itself to the bow's back. The human stumbled but managed to keep on her feet in spite of the pain and in spite of the fatigue fighting her and trying to drag her to the ground. She waited for the white light in her eyes to fade and then to her horror, she saw the two armed version of Sumati pushing herself up in the wake of the attack.

She was bleeding heavily and one of her remaining two arms was half gone but she was still alive. With ragged breaths she looked back to Darcy, pain and shock being replaced with a cruel, superior smirk. Surprised at her own survival the goddess began to laugh, staggering in place.

"Is that it?! Is that all the rage of Darcy Lewis has to offer?!" She mocked madness in her red eyes. The sneer on her face was arrogant and satisfied. The Midgardian understood that there was nothing she could do. It was taking all her effort just to stand. She felt hope flee her filling her body with despair. Then she noticed the scraping growl of Smurf and alarm set in.

The hum in the back of her mind had grown unawares to a loud buzzing that now focused on, consumed her. It drowned out all other noise, it threatened to be the only thing in existence. It was unbearable and it was hard for her to believe that it was all inside her head. It was all the warning she got. Sumati realized she had the attention of something other than Darcy and turned to flee. She was going to transport herself to another world, maybe even to Thanos himself. Skrullos was no doubt closer than Asgard and Earth to wherever the mysterious villian resided. If she managed to disappear she would survive and vengeance would go unsated.

Smurf leapt forward, heat radiating so strongly from it that Darcy could feel it even as he slipped away. The surface of the metal began to crack with pressure, strong white blue light leaking out from these fissures and glaring at the rest of the world.

"No!" Darcy cried out in grief and fear. Without even thinking of the consequences she ran forward, chasing after her living weapon. The air around it burned but that didn't make her stop her efforts to get desperately close to it one last time, to somehow save it in that last minute even though it was impossible.

Some distance away the worm like creature crashed to the ground, Thor and Loki exchanging a triumphant grin at their teamwork. Their mirth was short lived however when the heat and the light caught their attention and they glanced over to Darcy's battle with Sumati. Loki was stunned for only a few seconds as he comprehended what was happening, as he watched helplessly as Darcy got closer and closer to the obviously overloading Smurf.

"Darcy, no!" He called out in panic, running and leaping over hurdles of rubble and begging the length in his legs and strides to be quick enough, to reach her in time. But the battle with the worm had taken the pair of Asgards further than action would permit and finally the energy drew within itself. It was oddly quiet in that split second as Loki realized he was neither fast nor close enough to do anything. Then fire and electricity, heat, flame, and blue, white light burst from the living weapon, consuming the area. It swept across the battlefield, reaching Loki with a seer of heat that made him hiss in pain as his body was knocked backwards. He scrambled to remain conscious but darkness soon took hold, yanking awareness away from him as his concern for Darcy slipped away with his awareness.

When he came to, rubble half buried him and his body ached all over. He groaned trying pointlessly to heft a large boulder off of him. He was only freed after listening to the grunts and stumbled steps of Thor who had also woken as he came over and used his natural strength to move the chunk of rock. It still seemed to take a lot out of him, evidently the blast having done its fair share to the god of thunder as well.

Loki gasped in pain but that was the only sign he heeded his injuries. Tumbling into a staggering run he made his way to the epicentre of the blast where his last glimpse of Darcy had been of her hugging closely to Smurf's body in spite of the impending explosion. His eyes scrambled across the nearby rubble refusing to believe the inevitable. Panic set in as he began digging through the various piles, breaking his nails and cutting his fingers carelessly as he searched in desperation.

"No! Don't be dead, please!" He cried out, grief filling his voice and shattering it with sorrow and distress. He scrambled pointlessly jumping from one burial ground to the next but all traces of both the living weapon and the human woman were gone. The centre of the explosion would have been so strong that it destroyed matter, this evidenced by the smoothness right in the middle of the large area Loki searched. Thor silently came up behind him, grief for his friend and his brother clear on his face as he hesitated to reach out to him.

"Loki, she's gone." He stated hopelessly, going to grab his brother's shoulder. The god of mischief whirled on his sibling, madness clear in his eyes as he snarled.

"No! I will not allow it!" He spat as if his words and opinion would change what had happened. Even so he stood still as he watched his brother desperately almost searching for a sign to say "yes Loki, you're right". But Thor remained silent and the conviction on his face told that no amount of digging or wishing would bring back the Midgardian woman. Tears spilled from Loki's eyes before he cried out in rage, beating his fist down at rocks. He wanted to destroy this worthless planet, this death trap, this tormented place that had given him nothing but grief. The world that had stolen his beloved from him in exchange for nothing.

((A/N: Scartletwitch called it. Is the direction of the story acceptable? Or have I failed at delivering a good sequel? Trying to get a read on the response or lack there of. Help me learn for next time.))


	5. Chapter 5 - His Sanity

Chapter 5 – His Sanity

Skrullos had long been abandoned and when they had arrived it had already been in ruin. It was home to no one and never again would it be one. Loki's rage and sorrow had fluctuated dangerously with his sanity going from silent, sad stillness to hysterical anger until eventually his grief had consumed him. With nothing to target his rage at he attacked the planet, accepting the Jotun in him as he shattered what little remained with spears of ice spilling from the ground. In the end the blizzard of his torment had swept over the planet encasing it permanently in sharp ice. It was all Thor could do to keep out of harms way until Loki had finally dropped to his knees with one last aggrieved cry.

He probably would have sat there forever if Thor had not approached him. At firs hesitant with Mjolnir held ready to strike if his brother attacked. But Loki was still and made no act of aggression when he got closer. Thor grasped his brother's shoulders and did his best to encourage him to move. He had few words to offer and no answer when Loki asked what reason was there to try when all his effort at salvation had been approved in his eyes, only by one being and she was now gone. With his fury spent, he allowed his older sibling to lead him silently away until they were flying back to Asgard via the Tesseract. Heimdall had been watching this much was clear when they arrived in the Bifrost to find Odin and Frigga waiting. Their mother grasped her son tightly in a comforting embrace but Loki floated almost like a ghost, responsive to nothing around him.

His mind stuck itself to the image of Darcy as if that could somehow bring her back, reminiscing over the time they had spent together. He thought of her frightened face when they had first met, her attempts to help him for Thor's sake, her silent words the night before they had first defeated Sumati. How beautiful she had been in that ball gown dress, how he had played tricks on her and returned to being the god of mischief, how she teased him for the misunderstandings of ages past. He recalled her passionate kisses and her honest nature. Any other time these kinds of thoughts would have filled his chest with joy. But now there was a pain in his chest that constricted his lungs and made it hard to breathe for these memories were all he had. He closed his eyes as they became glassy; shutting out the strange stillness and silence of his grief, trying to focus on the world around him as if that might remove the theoretical spear in his chest. Slowly the whispers of those nearby him made their way past his barrier of turmoil.

He was in the throne room having been lead there unawares by his brother. His father was still at the Bifrost with Heimdall as if hoping the golden armoured man might find the Midgardian woman alive and save his once disgraced son. There was shouting and it took him a while to realize that Sif and the warriors three were there as well, the lady warrior shouting at Thor and Frigga in spite of the disrespect it displayed for Asgardian royalty.

"This is all an act! Loki was trying to kill you and he almost succeeded! It would have been the perfect plan!" Sif declared obviously having no trust for him at all. The accusation caused Loki's eyes to snap open, the look he shot the woman threatening pain.

"Sif, you are a great warrior and I trust you at my back but you are wrong! This was definitely not what Loki wanted." Thor defended glancing to his brother almost cautiously as he recognized he was finally returning his attention to the outside world.

"He is a liar and a monster! As a Jotun he wants nothing more than to rule the nine realms!" Sif continued obviously refusing to see reason. Loki had broken her trust all those years ago and she would never grant it to him again. So be it, that didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that she made light of Darcy's death. With that seed of hatred and rage growing in his chest Loki cleared the space between him and the woman, grabbing her by the throat as his skin turned blue and his touch burned her with cold.

"Do not presume to know how my mind works!" He spat with fury in his voice and madness in his eyes. Everyone tensed, worried that in his current state that he would willingly kill anyone especially Sif.

"You are a monster." Sif choked back, gripping his wrist tightly. Hogun was the one to decide he had to save her when it became apparent Loki wasn't letting go. The room fell into chaos. Ice erupted around the god of mischief knocking the warrior away. Sif attacked next her weapon blocked by a shield of ice before Loki returned the assault with sharp shards of the magical cold. Hogun went to assist his companion again only to have Thor prevent him, verbally pleading that this madness stop.

Fandral and Volstagg kept back with Frigga, all unsure what to do. Unlike Sif they had faith that Loki was true in his conviction to change and if not that, honest in his love for the now deceased woman. Neither side let up, battling right up until Odin thundered into the room knocking everyone battling back. Thor looked to his father desperately hoping he understood that Loki was not at fault. The god of mischief darted his glare between Sif and Odin obviously considering who to attack. The female warrior was by no means finished either, ready to attack as soon as Odin allowed it.

"Enough!" The king of Asgard bellowed, his voice permeating around the room. Sif submitted, dropping her weapon and stepping back almost ashamed though she still spared a look to Loki that suggested she wanted nothing more than to kill him. Loki however prepared to attack his father with another ice shard. He made two attempts before Odin knocked him to the floor and held his staff to Loki's neck, the blade dusting the skin there with threat. But this did not cow Loki, only fuelling the anger in his eyes.

"Fighting Sif won't change what happened." Odin whispered with compassion in his voice. The rage in Loki turned to anguish as he knocked the weapon at his throat aside, pushing himself up. He took a menacing step forward and everyone tensed ready to stop him if he attacked his father again.

"That despicable woman is worth ten of her!" Loki spat gesturing wildly at Sif with half a mind to attempt to kill her again. He felt his emotions consuming him and his frenzy bringing water to his eyes as his hatred for Sif was pushed aside by grief for his loss. He wished desperately that his father had left him to his fight instead of bringing his attention back to why he felt such emotional pain.

"What would killing her do? Darcy is gone, Loki. Don't become a monster for her sake." Odin attempted to reason. His words only caused a sickening hatred to form in the Asgardian's stomach as a part of him raged. How dare he say her name! No one was worthy.

"I would tear all of Asgard apart if it brought her back!" He screamed, lashing out at Odin. His eyes were filled with tears and the anger on his face overflowing with grief and pain. He dropped his head to his hands, openly weeping as he sat on the ground. Who cared if he was locked away, feared as a monster? Without her that's all he was as cliché as the truth could be. She had been his sanity, the one to have faith in him and help him overcome his madness. And now she was gone. Never again would he have the joy of her company, the pleasure of her comfort.

Eventually Thor led Loki away to his rooms, leaving him alone in his torment. The god of mischief ignored everyone. Sif was forbidden from coming near his room, Hogun keeping away also. Fandral and Volstagg would visit with Thor though they had little idea how to bring comfort and seemed almost scared of him in their caution. Frigga came often and while she said nothing she was always eager to embrace her son and beg that in time the open wound might heal. Odin did not visit for he was always busy with the affairs of Asgard and there was still the scar in their bond. Loki heard rumour that he and Heimdall tried every night to find Darcy in some miserable hope that she might have somehow survived.

Thor was the one to go to Earth and tell Jane and Selvig. Not long after the Bifrost was finally completed, the Tesseract replaced as its power source. It worked differently than before but it did the same job. With travel between Midgard and Asgard made easy, Jane began to visit. At first she had only watched Loki from afar who was either in his room brooding or had been dragged somewhere by Thor to sit lifelessly to the side. One of her visits and when they were out on the plains with the horses she finally approached him. She was cautious and timid as if worried he might lash out at any second. He couldn't blame her. The madness haunted him and he found he held frequent arguments with himself about whether he should gather power and destroy everything that crossed his path. Life was easier when pain was replaced with rage that fuelled a fire that begged to consume everything.

"Thor told me you destroyed that planet." Jane began awkwardly. Loki's eyes flicked to her for the barest of seconds, the only sign that he was even listening. Jane glanced to her side as if mentally sighing in relief at the fact she wasn't dead yet and he had not attacked her. "Thank you. Really. She was under appreciated. It's good that someone cares…that she was important." Jane offered taking a deep breath when a muscle in Loki's jaw twitched as he looked down. But he wasn't angry. He wet his lips, casting his gaze to the grazing herd where Thor was waiting with his friends. They were all watching him closely however.

"The limelight didn't suit her. I wish she'd stayed out of it." He confessed his voice husky with tears even though he felt he had no more to shed. Jane swallowed nodding her head understandingly before gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you probably don't care and if you do, it's most likely hatred you feel but S.H.I.E.L.D offered accepting you as the Asgardian ambassador in apology for not properly containing Sumati." She informed him. Emotionless he turned his head toward her though his gaze was off to the side almost as if he didn't know what to say. They remained silent before she offered another apology and crept away, returning to Thor's side.

He chose to remain with the herd when the group left, stroking Sleipnir's muzzle softly as he thought it over. He was oddly hollow having worked so hard to keep the emotional pain that he had no desires when he tried to think past it. There was just an empty void without his suffering. But then the madness would come creeping back into his mind, eager to take up residence in that vacancy. Ashamed and tired he asked it to leave. Grief was a heavy burden and currently he didn't have the energy to aspire to ruling the world. His heart was too wounded for that.

It was a strange feeling to explain. Almost like floating in warmth and air, no wetness to the sensation. She had been there for a long time she was certain even though she had only just come to awareness. Where was she? How did she get there? Her eyelids were heavy and it took determination and a large amount of effort to open them. She was surrounded by white light; blue veins of energy flickering through the world every now and then like slow lightning. She watched it for the longest time and her memory came crashing back.

Smurf had overloaded, exploding just as she had reached him. It had burned hot and her body had been in incredible pain. Looking over her arms though she found no cuts or branch like burns from the electricity that had torn into her. She was damage free. But how?

Slowly she brought her legs to what she thought was down. Really there was no direction in the strange place but when she tried her feet touched something akin to ground and she began to walk.

It was oddly silent and no matter which direction she went nothing changed. The stillness of the space contrasted greatly with her last memories filled with chaos. It was unnerving. The uneasy sensation had her tense which was why she jumped when the sound of pins dropping filled the air. She turned to see Smurf standing before her, completely intact with its second blade attached to its back. Even the holes that had been fired into it before they had visited the planet were gone. Darcy quickly noticed that the gems that were its eyes had flickers of white light much like the world they were in had blue. Like a storm in slow motion reflected in those eyes.

"What happened?" She asked though she expected no answer. That was why the response was all the more surprising.

"I sealed us inside a realm I created." Smurf answered with a voice like velvet that echoed. Darcy blinked; stupefied by the fact her living weapon was talking. Smurf was patient however, waiting for the obvious frenzy of her mind to calm down before continuing. "This world is stuck inside the explosion of my power overloading. If we try to leave it, the world ceases to exist and we die." He explained. The fractures of light making sense. The explosion was still happening constantly around them, stuck in a state of limbo.

"What do we do?" Darcy asked understanding that this couldn't possibly be a permanent solution.

"_You_ make a choice." Smurf replied catching his master's full attention. She frowned trying to work out what he was getting at but waited for him to explain without prompting. "Eventually the explosion will force this world to crumble and we will die or we could leave now and get it over and done with." He clarified not taking his gaze from the human. "Or I can hold this world true with the last of my awareness and send you back to that planet. Then you can transport yourself to Asgard and survive." He offered with a tone that clearly stated that was his wish.

"Even if I chose that, I can't teleport to Asgard. I'm a normal human being." She pointed out eyes wide with confusion as to why Smurf had overlooked this. If he had been humanoid she imagined the expression he pulled at that time was apologetic. "What?"

"You are broken, Darcy Lewis." He answered honestly though his response was difficult to comprehend. "You may think you are in tact and healthy but even if I could stop the explosion, sending you back now would instantly kill you. Your body is grievously injured." Smurf explained. Darcy blinked rapidly as her brain scrambled to understand how that was possible. She looked down at herself and still saw only that she was okay. Was she really a complete mess? "I can save you if I give half of my power, my body and my awareness to you. You would never be human again but you would survive." He offered before waiting for her to decide.

It was crazy and it made her feel like she'd be watching way too many movies. But Smurf held no joking to his voice. The offer was sincere. The chimes in Darcy's head also told her that her pet's wish was that she take his offer. He wanted her to survive. Sadly stroking his head she silently questioned him, pleading that there be some other way so that they could both live.

"The God of Mischief needs you Darcy Lewis. Please take my offer." Smurf spoke up. She wanted to tell it no but the hardest part about their symbiotic relationship was that what it felt she did too. Closing her eyes to tears and pursing her lips she nodded, accepting what had to be done.

"I'll miss you." She told him as she hugged Smurf's head, resting her face next to his eye. He made a sad but relieved shrill noise. The moment lasted a second before a strange energy filled Darcy's body.

She cried out as she felt agony along her arms, her injuries now clear in her mind. It was hard to fathom that she had somehow believed herself into not having them. But broken bones and injured flesh healed themselves to some extent, her arms in particular feeling sturdier although strangely not heavier as Smurf's metal replaced shattered bone. Gaping wounds shrunk still deep but no longer life threatening. She was consumed with fire and pain and she screamed only growing silent when air rushed away from her. Suddenly she was standing on a planet of ice, a white orb of energy fluctuating in front of her.

"Go! Now!" Smurf's voice filled her head ordering her to act. She pictured Asgard in her mind and willed her body to do whatever it was that made Smurf relocate itself. She felt the same as when she had travelled via her living weapon, a tunnel of light whisking around her as warmth surrounded her in a hot flush. Just as she felt the cold abandoned world being taken away from her feet she heard the last echoes of Smurf's end. A chime that told her farewell.

"Goodbye." She muttered in response, a tear sliding down her cheek. There was a sound like shattering and she knew that she would never again see her living weapon. He was gone.

It irritated him honestly. In the months since Jane had approached him he had accepted the role as Asgardian ambassador, spending a great deal of time on Earth. It was where Darcy had lived and he wanted to learn more of the home of his beloved. He had found places she had frequented, even gone so far as to meet her parents. He hadn't explained who he was just that he cared deeply for the daughter they had lost.

He wasn't much of an ambassador though. He rarely responded to S.H.I.E.L.D's attempts at contacting him for negotiations or assistance. At times their actions had almost encouraged him to give in to madness. Fortunately for their and his sake, he had become quite unresponsive when it came to emotions. It was easier to not feel as foolish as that would seem.

Today however Odin had requested he stay on Asgard instead of disappearing back to Earth. He didn't explain why which only brought further frustration to him. When Thor and Jane arrived at the pavilion he was biding his time in he was finally given the smallest of explanations.

"Heimdall said he glimpsed something strange." Thor explained though what their guardian had seen was left unanswered. Their seemed to be the implication that it was an impending threat and not for the first time Loki wondered if Sumati had survived.

Light caught their attention as the three watched blue energy flicker in the clearing. They glanced to each other recognising the signs of a Tesseract. They tensed, ready for action as Jane stepped behind Thor who had Mjolnir at the ready. But what transported there stunned them to stillness. Loki's eyes were wide with shock, his expression suggesting that he didn't entirely believe what he saw.

Darcy Lewis was standing across from them, wounds littering her body that suggested she had been near dead. There were gashes so deep one could see bone though the colour was off. Her eyes were glowing a rich blue like the gem on Smurf's back before fading to their normal colour as she looked around the area. She staggered but remained standing with some effort glancing between the three people who obviously had no clue how to respond.

"Hey." She offered meekly as if she had just returned from a walk. That was all that Loki needed for disbelief to shatter. He swept over to her, wrapping her body in his arms so quickly she barely had time to hiss back at him and remind him she was injured. He did his best to avoid her wounds but seemed determined to hold her as if she might disappear if he didn't. Relief swarmed into his chest mixed with a joy that made it all the more apparent to him that his sorrow had been exhausting.

"By Odin, you are never leaving my side again." He told her with overwhelming glee mixed amongst the threat of tears in his voice. It was clear she had no say in the matter but the apologetic smile she offered in return suggested she wasn't going to argue. He had a pretty damn good reason to be overprotective. She was just glad to be back.

((A/N: Again, Scarletwitch called it with option number 3. While AU and somewhat OOC I guess, it's still Marvel. No one ever really dies. They're just off screen indefinitely. That could be said about most sci-fi however. And soap operas. /Joke. But I'm digressing. Also, thank you so much Scartletwitch (and yes I am a girl). I was...amazed and as narcissistic as it is, proud to hear that my story would be worthy of an award in anyone's eyes. Warm and fuzzy happy feels. Thank you again, so much. It's an honour. Also thanks for pointing out a reason why I might be getting a lack of response. I was starting to worry that I'd done something wrong. My goal is to write something enjoyable and I hope to be doing just that. Thanks everyone for the reviews, faves and follows. The epilogue should be up in a few days hopefully. Thanks again.))


	6. Epilogue - God of Mischeif

Epilogue – God of Mischief

What followed became a blur to Darcy. She had been taken to the Asgardian equivalent of a hospital where the marvellous invention called healing stones almost instantly removed the worst of her wounds; speeding up the healing process to the point she barely even had scars. When their work was done she was ravenously hungry and decided that the reason Thor had such a large appetite was because he'd had too much of that magic worked on him.

She wasn't sure what followed, her memory of the time vague. The only thing she did recall vividly was that Loki refused to leave her side. Not that she asked. His presence was a great comfort and she didn't have the heart to turn him away. When she had first returned he had been pale and deathly. Obviously the grief of her loss had taken its toll on him. Although she mourned the loss of Smurf and missed him dearly she found herself thankful that he had pressured her into accepting his sacrifice. The torment her lover had felt was painful to think of, even worse so if she had never come back.

He was a constant comfort and almost violently protective. But everyone was just as patient and understanding of his actions as she. Frigga asked gently though with a stern undertone that Darcy never torment her son like that again. She responded in kind with a joke that suggested she would never get the chance. He watched her so closely Heimdall was put to shame. Jane after her relief finally faded away spent a great deal of time scolding Darcy and telling her she was the worst intern she could ever asked for. Then they had broken into teary giggles and she'd hugged the younger girl so tightly you would have thought they were sisters.

Thor was glad and friendly, such was his way. He bypassed the grim to rejoice in her return, brining his brother and Darcy along to his less dangerous past times. Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun made no more comment than offered pleasantries that she was alive.

Sif was another thing. Darcy didn't think of mentioning her absence, she barely even noticed it considering the woman wasn't on her radar. But then she had stood opposite the pair in the hallway once and the look Loki shot the other Asgardian and she him in return piked Darcy's curiosity. When she found out what had happened her jaw clenched in a stubborn and angry way. One dinner and with much insistence that Loki leave her be for just one moment, she confronted Sif in the hallway.

"How _dare_ you." She hissed under her breath, her eyes flaring ominously blue as she stared the Asgardian down. Sif though a proud warrior, shifted uncomfortable before tilting her head up in a defiant way.

"I have every reason to distrust him." She replied though the falter in her voice suggested she had begun to see the error of her ways.

"And he has done _everything_ in his power to prove he is a changed man. His entire family, who were the most wronged by his actions, have forgiven him. You have _no_ right to judge him." Darcy shot back with a hint that she was sorely tempted to strike the woman. She refrained fortunately as no doubt it would cause great distress, especially to Thor, if the two were to begin battling. "If you ever say a bad word to him again, you'll have me to answer to." She warned. Once Darcy Lewis making such a threat would have been laughable. Now there was something true to her attempt at hinting danger.

There was a certain tension for a time that soaked the air on Asgard, everyone having somehow heard of the exchange. Eventually Sif with pride in her stance and conviction that her fears were true approached Loki with a respectful apology that broke the ice. He graciously accepted to Thor's relief but the dislike between them never truly left. They just put their differences behind them for the sake of mutual friends.

Ultimately Darcy returned to Earth, Jane filling her in on the things Loki couldn't although it became quite apparent that he had been studying her old life and following her interests for her to the point he even had some insight on celebrity gossip. She had refrained from teasing him for it though she sorely wanted to.

Her parents were more than relieved and had tried their best to scold her however she had proven to have matured with the events. Buying wisdom with tragedy. While she didn't want them to fear for her any longer she could not promise to live in their home or nearby where she could be watched carefully. Only swear that she would make it her best interest to avoid life threatening situations as much as she possibly could. She kept them in the dark about the truth of it however and that she could never truly abandon danger entirely. It was a part of her now.

That was another thing. She was no longer human and S.H.I.E.L.D quickly got wind of this. Being able to freely travel between worlds linked to Yggdrasil and being more damage resistant were not the only quirks she had been given. She healed faster and could charge electricity through her body not to mention she had the same resistance to the substance as Thor. Her bones were of course more durable though there was no blade or crossbow to use now. Just the jolts of lightning that she could almost play with like toys. Fury informed her that she could be enlisted to the Avengers Initiative. She declined vocally though when impending threat came she fought with the others regardless of her intentions, Loki always close by her side.

He remained as the Asgardian ambassador, moving to Earth while promising his family that he would be king somewhere, someday hinting that not all of his ambition and madness was gone. Darcy meanwhile became the unofficial guardian of the bridges between worlds, the alien part of her able to feel people travelling via the Tesseracts. Loki didn't like the idea of her doing dangerous work but he came to understand that it was a duty born of her union with Smurf.

The pair had taken the abandoned car dealership as their home, refurnishing it now that Jane spent her life in Asgard, visiting Earth when she had knowledge to share or was feeling homesick. It was peaceful most of the time and the year that had followed made Darcy appreciate having once been one of the little people. At times she'd forget she no longer was. She dressed the same as usual and most of the time she looked like the same old intern if not with a few scars on her body, the thick white lines on her arms mingled with branch like bruises usually seen on victims of lightning strikes. It was only when she used her powers and her eyes went a surreal blue that it was obvious she was something more. Loki was even better at passing off as someone normal. While he spoke, moved and stood with a regal air that suggested godly greatness he wore Midgardian clothes most of the time. He'd even let his hair grow long again styled the same as when he had come with the Chitauri.

It was a warm day and she was resting in the sunlight in a hammock on the roof. There was no imminent threat and S.H.I.E.L.D had left her and Loki alone for the time being letting them enjoy each other's company. She was nestled comfortably in the Asgardian's chest, one of his arms wrapped protectively around her. He was almost constantly within touching distance and while at times it frustrated her she completely understood why he had an instinctual dislike to let her get too far away.

She sighed contently thinking that she had nothing to honestly complain about. She missed Smurf dearly but over time she had learnt to live for his sake. She knew in her heart that her living weapon wouldn't have had it any other way and in some small part he lived on in her. Loki glanced away from the book he had been reading, stroking her hair with the arm wrapped around her.

"Is everything all right my love?" He asked dusting a kiss on her forehead. She smiled pleasantly at him, shuffling a little to wrap her arms around his torso.

"It's perfect." She answered biting her lip in that flirty way. He narrowed his eyes at her with amused suspicion. When she failed to act on her own plans of mischief he tossed his book aside and tickled her sides inciting shrills of laughter from the girl. She attempted to squirm away but his other arm held her firmly.

"You mustn't forget Miss Lewis; I am the God of Mischief." He reminded her although it had been quite a while since he had done anything to live up to that title. Still, every now and then and usually with her encouragement he played tricks on someone. More than once an unsuspecting individual had found something of theirs turned to ice cream, Tony Stark being the most favoured victim of such tricks next to Nick Fury. Darcy laughed not so much at the idea but at the fact Loki wore the title like a badge of honour.

"Sometimes I forget I'm in a relationship with a Norse god." She spoke up the mock offended look Loki shot her causing her to giggle again. She smiled pleasantly, wriggling so she was snuggled into his chest once more looking out on the small town they lived in. Citizens were going about their lives and she thought over how technically she was no longer one of the "little people". She could still go to the diner across the road and order a coffee but her daily activities diverted from there to the less normal. Loki watched her closely but refrained from asking what was on her mind a second time. "I wonder what everything would have been like if Sumati hadn't threatened Earth." She pondered aloud. It wasn't the first time she'd thought about it. At times she cursed the goddess, hoping that she had died in the explosion and wishing she had never existed. But then she'd think about what had happened because of the villainess and she would realize that she had her to thank for her relationship with Loki. Without the impending danger of her arrival he would not have been sent to Midgard.

Loki thought about it after a flare of rage. It was instinctual now that the very idea of Sumati encouraged a fury that suggested if she was alive and he ever met her again he would do everything in his power to tear her to pieces. But as far as they knew, she had died when Smurf had overloaded.

But she was the reason he was where he was now. For all he knew, Odin would have left him in that prison forever or he would have been required to assist in some other way to make his redemption. He feared that in such cases and without meeting Darcy, his madness would have consumed him and he would still now be a madman trying to destroy everything his brother cherished. Fortunately that wasn't the case.

"I'd probably still resent my family and be locked away." He offered after a moment gazing off into the distance. The frown on his face suggested he disliked the idea and was grateful that this wasn't the case. Darcy watched him a moment before tightening her hold on him and making a small huff noise.

"I'd probably be studying science somewhere telling everyone how I knew Thor but not being believed." She muttered almost bitterly. In the beginning S.H.I.E.L.D had given it their all to keep her from being a big part of anything they did. Darcy made a frown of concentration and Loki could not help but laugh as he observed it.

"Are you trying to "force choke" the S.H.I.E.L.D collective again?" He inquired. It was one of his lover's favourite past times, usually following the days where she had been tricked into fighting for the good of the Earth or after a lecture from Fury about using her abilities for less noble matters. As for the terminology, Darcy had done quite a good job of sharing every possible thing she could with the God of Mischief that she loved about her home world.

"No though I'm more than happy to do that later." She replied pulling one last look that almost implied success. "I was telling the me of alternate realities to do everything in my power to meet you." She responded in a childish tone very reminiscent of the before Skrullos Darcy. The light hearted intern. Loki could only laugh at his lover although he felt the glow of joy filling his chest at the idea of falling for her all over again.

"You are something else, Taser." He informed her using her "superhero" name. Something that Thor had dubbed her when she had first assisted the Avengers. It ended up sticking and being ironically suitable. Loki found it quite entertaining to use as a pet name.

"I'm the lover of a Trickster, what can I say?" She responded with something akin to pride in her voice. Unable to resist her adorable factor any longer, Loki leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. It was a kiss filled with longing, passion and as unbearably sappy as it can be, love. Darcy reciprocated the emotional attachment along with the definite physical want. Her kisses were hard, hot and fervent. When he pulled away she made eyes and bit her lip in that way only she could, hinting that she didn't want him to stop. The smirk that crossed his face was decidedly playful as he stood up, lifting his human lover in the same motion.

They would quickly disappear down below into the car dealership, further hiding in one of the rooms without giant glass windows not wanting to be a public display. Not that this hadn't happened before. One visit from Jane gave her a little too much insight into her ex-assistant's personal life when in the throws of passion the couple had completely forgotten that their main room was practically a giant fish bowl for all to see into. Darcy had the decency to be ashamed; Loki she decided had been spending a little too much time with Fandral because he almost seemed proud when he glanced to his brother after the pair had covered themselves up.

It was moments like that and the one happening now as she slowly stripped her lover of the much easier to remove Midgardian clothes that made Darcy cherish being alive. Her sense of normality was definitely skewed but the life she was living was satisfying even more so to be shared with the remarkable man who now showered her skin with kisses though obviously keen to be doing more. Loki was also quite happy. The woman he loved was not dead; madness was rarely even a whisper in his mind anymore and even Sif had taken to dropping suspicion of him. He could truly call himself an Asgardian, a hero and a lover. One day he would become a king, Darcy his queen and…well, the happily ever after would denote there were lots of little Tasers and Tricksters to keep the uncle God of Thunder busy and he was more than happy to oblige the fairytale ending. When happiness is granted why not surround yourself with it?

((A/N: A little bit of fluff for you all and general silliness. Thank you everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed all the stories. It has been a pleasure and a heart warming ride and I hope I have done well to entertain you all. I am sad to say this is the end of the trio ficlets but I am more than joyous to inform you all that this is not the end of my particular spin-off Marvel universe. I already have ideas for other Marvel fics (and a TaserTrick drabbles fic with random scenes from the inbetweens of this trio) bouncing around in my head and yes, some do involve our favourite non-canon pair as the feature. However my current motivation/inspiration/desire drives me to write a little TonyxPepper Iron Man prequel fic. I hope to see some if not all of you there as well. A virtual hug back to Scarletwitch who has been a great reviewer. Thank you so much. Your reviews are always heart warming and rewarding. I have greatly enjoyed our back and forths as well. Extensive reviews sometimes give me extra things that haven't even crossed my mind and that helps me improve upon my writing. Thank you greatly for that. Again, thanks to all. Hope to see you next time.))


End file.
